Rightly Viewing Prophecy
Rightly handling Biblical prophecy should result in more conversation with God, not less. If I wrongly think of myself as "having the understanding" of what the Bible is prophetically describing, I will likely miss the actual thing promised to happen! Humility is required when dealing with the Humble King!
The experts on Biblical prophecy in Jesus' day did not believe Jesus was the fulfillment of any prophecy they knew of! Because they had so over-developed their expectations of the prophetic requirements for the coming of the Messiah, then entirely missed the ONE prophecy all others hang on!
John 7:40Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” 41Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42“Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
We see SO dimly. That is the point of prophecy...it's an invitation to come and see more. Not by figuring out the "secret" or possessing the right knowledge of history, but by talking to the God who issued the word! Prophecy is only an invitation to conversation. The more I converse with the giver of the Word, the more He gives! This is called "watching and praying."
We have to be careful to not go beyond the actual words of the Bible as we study out the prophetic promises. Imagining how they are fulfilled is essential, but we must do the imagining with a very soft heart and HUMILITY....understanding we see dimly, and imagine in the context of an ongoing conversation, actively learning to love God and others:
The experts on Biblical prophecy in Jesus' day did not believe Jesus was the fulfillment of any prophecy they knew of! Because they had so over-developed their expectations of the prophetic requirements for the coming of the Messiah, then entirely missed the ONE prophecy all others hang on!
John 7:40Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” 41Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42“Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
We see SO dimly. That is the point of prophecy...it's an invitation to come and see more. Not by figuring out the "secret" or possessing the right knowledge of history, but by talking to the God who issued the word! Prophecy is only an invitation to conversation. The more I converse with the giver of the Word, the more He gives! This is called "watching and praying."
We have to be careful to not go beyond the actual words of the Bible as we study out the prophetic promises. Imagining how they are fulfilled is essential, but we must do the imagining with a very soft heart and HUMILITY....understanding we see dimly, and imagine in the context of an ongoing conversation, actively learning to love God and others:
1 Cor 13:4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
There is a reason 1 Corinthians 13 is right between 12 and 14!
Humility is essential for rightly handling prophecy....all prophecy, especially the prophetic promises of Jesus' return.
There is a reason 1 Corinthians 13 is right between 12 and 14!
Humility is essential for rightly handling prophecy....all prophecy, especially the prophetic promises of Jesus' return.
Our looking for the Humble Servant must be marked with humility. No prophecy of Jesus' kingdom can be rightly handled outside of the parameters of His character. Jesus didn't set himself up as a keeper of esoteric knowledge, or as a haughty teacher, or as a demanding Biblical scholar... No, Jesus simply showed us the pattern of a son.
Prophecy isn't an invitation to find out the secret code and then have a knowledge no one else possesses. Prophecy isn't to be figured out so I know everything and then disconnect from learning more.
Prophecy is an invitation to see there is so much more to know than I know and then humbly enter in to a fascinating forever search of the heart of the One who gave the prophetic invitation.
Daniel understood by reading Jeremiah's prophecy that Israel was about to come out of captivity. He didn't take that and set up seminars and clubs to disseminate what he knew about when, where, and how Israel would come out of captivity...he took that amazing invitation to talk to God more intentionally...with a soft and repentant heart he went harder after the knowledge of how, when and where.
Daniel 9:2in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. 3Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5“we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6“Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
7“O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8“O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10“We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11“Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12“And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13“As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14“Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15“And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly! 16“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. 17“Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18“O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19“O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
20Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23“At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:
Because Daniel rightly handled prophecy, he was given MORE understanding! Correctly responding to prophecy means learning humility as we come to the one who authored the word, ready to learn more, as children, and not rule out what he said, like lawyers and scribes.
John 13:19 “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
Prophecy isn't an invitation to find out the secret code and then have a knowledge no one else possesses. Prophecy isn't to be figured out so I know everything and then disconnect from learning more.
Prophecy is an invitation to see there is so much more to know than I know and then humbly enter in to a fascinating forever search of the heart of the One who gave the prophetic invitation.
Daniel understood by reading Jeremiah's prophecy that Israel was about to come out of captivity. He didn't take that and set up seminars and clubs to disseminate what he knew about when, where, and how Israel would come out of captivity...he took that amazing invitation to talk to God more intentionally...with a soft and repentant heart he went harder after the knowledge of how, when and where.
Daniel 9:2in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. 3Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5“we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6“Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
7“O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8“O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10“We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11“Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12“And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13“As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14“Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15“And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly! 16“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. 17“Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18“O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19“O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
20Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23“At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:
Because Daniel rightly handled prophecy, he was given MORE understanding! Correctly responding to prophecy means learning humility as we come to the one who authored the word, ready to learn more, as children, and not rule out what he said, like lawyers and scribes.
John 13:19 “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
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